Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson disease or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs motor skills and speech. Parkinson's disease belongs to a group of conditions called movement disorders. It is characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor, a slowing of physical movement (bradykinesia), and in extreme cases, a loss of physical movement (akinesia).
The cause of Parkinson's disease is largely unknown; however, the disease is associated with a substantial loss of dopaminergic neurons in the pars compacta region of the substantia nigra.
The main therapy currently being used for treating Parkinson's disease is L-DOPA treatment. However, L-DOPA has many undesirable side-effects associated with it including, for example, nausea, vomiting, postural hypotension, confusion or, when the treatment is continued for extended periods of time, dyskinesia. Other available therapies including dopamine agonists, anticholinergic drugs, catechol-0-methyl-transferase inhibitors or amantadine, are less effective and also associated with a number of often serious side-effects.
Accordingly, there is a need for a therapy, which could help Parkinson's disease sufferers and reduce the number or severity of side-effects in comparison with the available treatment methods.